1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an optical connector. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for the field termination of small form factor optical connectors having a thermoplastic adhesive.
2. Related Art
Mechanical optical fiber connectors for the telecommunications industry are known. In recent years, an emphasis has been placed on the use of small form factor (SFF) optical fiber connectors. For example, LC (“Lucent Connectors”) optical-type connectors have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,481,634; 5,719,977; and 6,318,903. These connectors are used for joining optical fiber segments at their ends and for connecting optical fiber cables to active and passive devices. The LC form factor is about 50% smaller than the form factors for other conventional optical connectors, such as ST, FC, and SC, which can be referred to as large form factor (LFF) connectors.
However, commercially available LC connectors are not well suited for field installations. Conventional adhesive materials include thermal, anaerobic or UV curing adhesives as well as the use of two-part epoxies and acrylates. For example, LC connectors typically use epoxy-based resins (e.g., two part epoxies) for fiber retention within the ferrule portion of the connector. These epoxies require about 10 to 15 minutes to heat cure after application. Once set, the fiber cannot be removed from the ferrule without breaking the fiber, thus making resetting of the optical fiber in the ferrule impractical.